Here are a couple of the research projects I am working on at the moment:
(1) Online Statistics: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study: This project deals with updating the Online Statistics website, which uses simulations and multimedia to facilitate the learning of statistics. We are also investigating how this website can be used in conjunction with mobile devices, specifically with iPod touches.
My thesis, titled "Making an Online Textbook Successful: A Study of a Statistics Website in Conjunction with Mobile Devices" stems from this project.
Here my thesis abstract:
The website titled “Online Statistics Education: An Interactive Multimedia Course of Study” was developed to aid statistics students in the learning of statistics by providing an interactive element. This study looks to explore individual differences and the effects of these differences on usage of the statistics website, especially in conjunction with new platforms, such as mobile devices (i.e. smart phones and iPods). The individual differences that will be explored in this study are technology acceptance, cognitive absorption, attitudes towards statistics, user satisfaction, and statistics comprehension. The study looks to yield results that will help improve the current website for both computer and mobile device usage, and offer suggestions for similar websites. The overall goal of this study is to help improve statistics performance and comprehension; therefore participants’ statistics comprehension and performance will be closely examined.
(2) Adoption of efficient techniques with software: In this series of studies we have been examining/exploring what leads people to select efficient vs. inefficient strategies while utilizing software. Thus far, we have found the observation of peers utilizing efficient strategies to influence the observer's adoption of efficient techniques.